USAID Visits EDC Project in Mali

Staff from EDC’s PAJE-Nièta project hosted visitors from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) this week in the village of Toumoumba in Kita, Mali. Vanita Datta (USAID Counterterrorism Advisor) and Dana Alzouma (USAID Country Development Officer-Office of West African Affairs) traveled to Mali to see firsthand how development funding is directly assisting beneficiaries in the region.

The visit included a trip to a “seed fair,” where youth received startup kits with equipment essential to launching their respective new microenterprise ventures. Youth who selected agriculture [market gardening and cereal farming] received ploughs and certified seeds provided by local seed distributors. A total of 881 youth (773 women and 148 men) received vouchers enabling them to purchase seeds for planting during this rainy season. Those who selected soap making (131 women) received a startup kit consisting of a table, a bucket, plastic tubs, a pot, and protective gear, including gloves, glasses, and a face mask.

The PAJE-Nièta project is managed by EDC and funded by USAID. All photos by Adwoa Atta-Krah/EDC.